No ‘undue influence’ from ministers over Taylor Swift police protection – Nandy

A police escort for Taylor Swift was not the result of “undue influence” from senior politicians attending the singer’s Wembley concerts, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said.

The decision was made by senior officers but the Home Secretary and Mayor of London were involved in talks about security around her sell-out shows over the summer, the Culture Secretary said.

The Shake It Off star was given a motorbike convoy to protect her on the way to Wembley despite initial police reservations, The Sun reported.

Senior Labour politicians including Sir Keir Starmer, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Ms Nandy were given free tickets to Eras Tour shows, but the Culture Secretary insisted there was no link between the hospitality they received and the police protection for Swift.

“I utterly reject that there’s been any kind of wrongdoing or undue influence in this case,” she told Sky News.

She said the Home Secretary would be involved in discussions around the security risk, particularly given that Swift’s shows in Vienna were cancelled because of a terror threat.

Ms Nandy told Sky News: “When you have major events, whether in London or in other parts of the UK, the Home Secretary will be involved in a conversation where there is a security risk.

“I also know that she doesn’t have the power, nor would she use the power, to insist that any individual got the top level of private security arrangements. That is an operational matter for the police, not for the Government.

“The police made the decision. Ultimately, it is their decision, and nobody else can make it.”

The Sun reported that the Metropolitan Police’s special escort group had initially been reluctant to give the Cruel Summer singer the kind of protection normally reserved for senior royalty and politicians.

Ms Nandy added: “What I can tell you is that neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Secretary, nor the Mayor of London has the power to override the police on this matter. It is an operational decision for the police.

“They can put their own view. That’s certainly the case. But you would expect the Home Secretary and the Mayor of the city where this event is taking place, given the history of what had just happened in Vienna, to be involved in the conversation about security arrangements.”

Downing Street would not be drawn on whether No 10 was directly involved in discussions about Swift’s security.

Asked about No 10’s involvement, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “You would expect there to be meetings between the Government, police and the mayor.

“I don’t have any details on the specifics of that engagement.”

Conservative leadership candidate and shadow home secretary James Cleverly wrote to Ms Cooper on Wednesday asking a series of questions about her involvement in the decision to grant additional protection to Swift.

He said: “The role of the (special escort group) is to serve the state and provide professional mobile protection for royalty, senior Government ministers, and at times guests of Government and state.

“It is not for use by private individuals or as traffic assistants for popstars.”

A Met Police spokesperson said: “The Met is operationally independent.

“Our decision making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and the circumstances of each case.

“It is our longstanding position that we don’t comment on the specific details of protective security arrangements.”

A Home Office source said: “This was an operational decision for the police.

“Of course, when events of this scale take place you would expect the Government, the Mayor’s Office and the Met Police to work together to ensure they can be held safely and securely.

“As Taylor Swift herself said in the wake of her cancelled concerts in Vienna: ‘I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.’

“We commend the police for their work to ensure these events went off smoothly and safely.”

A spokeswoman for the Mayor said: “We don’t comment on the Met’s security arrangements – they are operational decisions for them.”

The Prime Minister has paid back almost £3,400 for four Taylor Swift tickets donated by Universal Music Group and two from the Football Association.